I swear on a stack of bibles that Mrs. Hope is NOT my MarySue.... well, not deliberately.... I know, Severus got to me in this chapter, and I wrote it! I think his encounter with Hermione's wards may be some of the work I'm most proud of in anything I've ever written...sorry to sound so immodest....

I swear on a stack of bibles that Mrs. Hope is NOT my MarySue.... well, not deliberately.... I know, Severus got to me in this chapter, and I wrote it! I think his encounter with Hermione's wards may be some of the work I'm most proud of in anything I've ever written...sorry to sound so immodest....

Thanks, babe! I told Jules that Pansy needs her own reality show. Oh, Lucius isn't bad - he's just drawn that way...

Thanks, babe! I told Jules that Pansy needs her own reality show. Oh, Lucius isn't bad - he's just drawn that way...

Well, I can honestly say I've never tempted anyone to skive off work before - I take that as a huge compliment! Pansy was the surprise of this story. As it developed, I thought Draco would be the favourite, but Pansy had other plans, and emerged as a strong personality, a little ambiguous but nevertheless compelling. It's lovely to see readers falling in like with her.

Well, I can honestly say I've never tempted anyone to skive off work before - I take that as a huge compliment! Pansy was the surprise of this story. As it developed, I thought Draco would be the favourite, but Pansy had other plans, and emerged as a strong personality, a little ambiguous but nevertheless compelling. It's lovely to see readers falling in like with her.

Oh, dear, we seem to be getting you into all sorts of trouble! Writing the hall scene was painful and I originally wrote it very wrong - thank goodness stgulik was watching my back and said, "No. This is how is has to go." As always she was right. And we have her to thank for that moving conversation between Lugubrious and Hermione - I still tear up when I read, "He loves you, Hermione." Gets me every time, and I tell her every time!

Oh, dear, we seem to be getting you into all sorts of trouble! Writing the hall scene was painful and I originally wrote it very wrong - thank goodness stgulik was watching my back and said, "No. This is how is has to go." As always she was right. And we have her to thank for that moving conversation between Lugubrious and Hermione - I still tear up when I read, "He loves you, Hermione." Gets me every time, and I tell her every time!

Well, I never promised to be unpredictable! Actually, we were just talking that, there are about seven different stories in the entire world, and we just keep recycling them. 

I really didn't think this was predictable at all.  Not until close to the time the things were going to happen (which doesn't count).  I didn't mean to say that at all.  It was more of the fact that I thought I had resigned myself to accepting  the fate of the characters, so I was shocked when those things happened and I was still so upset by them.  I guess I should say that things were written so well that I was more bothered by them then I thought I ought to be.

No worries! I see what you mean. Thank you. It's a wonderful thing to be able to write something that makes someone feel so deeply about your characters.

Well, I never promised to be unpredictable! Actually, we were just talking that, there are about seven different stories in the entire world, and we just keep recycling them. 

I really didn't think this was predictable at all.  Not until close to the time the things were going to happen (which doesn't count).  I didn't mean to say that at all.  It was more of the fact that I thought I had resigned myself to accepting  the fate of the characters, so I was shocked when those things happened and I was still so upset by them.  I guess I should say that things were written so well that I was more bothered by them then I thought I ought to be.

No worries! I see what you mean. Thank you. It's a wonderful thing to be able to write something that makes someone feel so deeply about your characters.

I was so thrilled at your last paragraph. What an incredible compliment to receive. Stgulik and I had such a great time writing this, and to have that reaction from a reader - well, it just doesn't get any better. I hope you'll have a change to read some more soon!

I was so thrilled at your last paragraph. What an incredible compliment to receive. Stgulik and I had such a great time writing this, and to have that reaction from a reader - well, it just doesn't get any better. I hope you'll have a change to read some more soon!

Thank you so much. That was in many ways a tough chapter to write. I hate writing them at odds with one another - I like them to work together! But you have to have some anguish to sweeten what comes later.

Thank you so much. That was in many ways a tough chapter to write. I hate writing them at odds with one another - I like them to work together! But you have to have some anguish to sweeten what comes later.

Well, I don't like to say... :) And it would be awfully rude of him to leave Diana that way, don't you think?

It seemed that he had already made his excuses to Diana for the evening. She needn't know what he was up to. Besides, just because he escorts Hermione home, doesn't mean he plans to bed her when they get there. I doubt Hermione would allow it anyway. Considering the way she treated him when they were dancing, she probably won't let him escort her home either. I just have so many questions about their interaction, I can't help but speculate about it.

Thank you so much! I am really glad you are enjoying the story. Yes, I'm afraid Diana is an ex-parrot, as they say. I won't spoil the next chapter though - I'll leave it for you to discover.

Well, I don't like to say... :) And it would be awfully rude of him to leave Diana that way, don't you think?

It seemed that he had already made his excuses to Diana for the evening. She needn't know what he was up to. Besides, just because he escorts Hermione home, doesn't mean he plans to bed her when they get there. I doubt Hermione would allow it anyway. Considering the way she treated him when they were dancing, she probably won't let him escort her home either. I just have so many questions about their interaction, I can't help but speculate about it.

Thank you so much! I am really glad you are enjoying the story. Yes, I'm afraid Diana is an ex-parrot, as they say. I won't spoil the next chapter though - I'll leave it for you to discover.

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much! We're glad you are enjoying it so much!

Thank you so much! We're glad you are enjoying it so much!

Poor Severus! Some folks are just not cut out to be politicians. And Draco is, I know, a hearthrob to many, but I have always pictured him this way, and stgulik thankfully indulged me. I think you might be thinking about 'palpable', but I'd have to ask stgulik. As my beta, she's the one who knows these things! ;)

Poor Severus! Some folks are just not cut out to be politicians. And Draco is, I know, a hearthrob to many, but I have always pictured him this way, and stgulik thankfully indulged me. I think you might be thinking about 'palpable', but I'd have to ask stgulik. As my beta, she's the one who knows these things! ;)

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much! I'm delighted you are enjoying the story. I will be posting regular updates for sure - I'm one of those readers myself who hates to wait! I truly hope you'll continue to enjoy the story.

Thank you so much! I'm delighted you are enjoying the story. I will be posting regular updates for sure - I'm one of those readers myself who hates to wait! I truly hope you'll continue to enjoy the story.

Thank you so much! I'm so tickled you are enjoying the story. Stgulik and I have been overwhelmed and over the moon with the response we've received on this fic. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Thank you so much! I'm so tickled you are enjoying the story. Stgulik and I have been overwhelmed and over the moon with the response we've received on this fic. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Thank you so much for your lovely comments! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

Thank you so much for your lovely comments! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

Well, as with all mysteries, all will (eventually) be revealed. I hate to spoil the surprise! ;)

Well, as with all mysteries, all will (eventually) be revealed. I hate to spoil the surprise! ;)

Thank you so very much! I can't tell you how much we appreciate your comments - I hope you will continue to enjoy the story. It is complete, and I will be updating at very regular intervals - I'm the type of person who wants to read it all at once - so I won't keep anyone waiting long! ;)

Thank you so very much! I can't tell you how much we appreciate your comments - I hope you will continue to enjoy the story. It is complete, and I will be updating at very regular intervals - I'm the type of person who wants to read it all at once - so I won't keep anyone waiting long! ;)

There's always hope!

There's always hope!

Thank you - she's a tough one, alright!

Thank you - she's a tough one, alright!

Thank you so much! I'm thrilled that you are enjoying the story. We'll be posting here very regularly as well.

Thank you so much! I'm thrilled that you are enjoying the story. We'll be posting here very regularly as well.

Thank you! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story. I'll be posting very regularly here. I'm too impatient to keep anyone else waiting! ;)

Thank you! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story. I'll be posting very regularly here. I'm too impatient to keep anyone else waiting! ;)

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you so much. We talked long and hard about Severus' personality, and how it would be altered by the outcome of the war, and we agreed that he would not long be the snarky, bullying bad tempered man he'd been - he couldnt' be. He, too, was on the losing side - it's just that the winning side didn't see it that way, and he was resigned to playing a new role. And it's so fun to write banter between Lucius and Severus. That is one of my favourite pairs to write dialogue. I'm not into Lucius/Severus smut at all, but I do love to have them try and outwit one another.

Thank you so much. We talked long and hard about Severus' personality, and how it would be altered by the outcome of the war, and we agreed that he would not long be the snarky, bullying bad tempered man he'd been - he couldnt' be. He, too, was on the losing side - it's just that the winning side didn't see it that way, and he was resigned to playing a new role. And it's so fun to write banter between Lucius and Severus. That is one of my favourite pairs to write dialogue. I'm not into Lucius/Severus smut at all, but I do love to have them try and outwit one another.

Well, you never know :)

Well, you never know :)